Dogs of war: The four-legged army recruits which will endure tough training regime to detect hidden Taliban bombs and weapons

One chases rubber balls. Another plays tug-of-war with old rope. A third yelps excitedly.

But next year they will be among an elite Army team sniffing out roadside bombs in Afghanistan.

They are the latest eight recruits on the Ministry of Defence’s new Young Military Working Dogs (YMWD) scheme – dubbed the ‘Puppy Programme’.